Throwback
by Sierra Janeway
Summary: Shilo finds an old picture of GraveRobber. A picture he never wanted to see the light of day.


_Disclaimer: All original characters and such belong to Twisted Pictures & Lionsgate._

**Summary: **Shilo finds an old picture of GraveRobber. A picture he never wanted to see the light of day.

**Chronology: **Post-Repo

**Pairings: **Implied Grilo

**Rating: **T for mild language

**Author's Note:** So this photo of Terrance Zdunich (GraveRobber) from back in the day appeared in my facebook feed and a plot bunny followed soon after. Just a silly little one-shot.

* * *

**Throwback**

They picked their way through the rotting trash and weeds that had sprung up in the remains of the old building. Shilo wrinkled her nose and pulled her sleeve over the end of her hand and cupped it over her face. "Do you really have to get it now?" she asked, her voice muffled through the cloth.

"I realize a junkie is hardly a reliable source," GraveRobber said, holding the lantern over his head and looking around. "But it makes sense given the evidence I've seen over the past month or so. GeneCo's gonna tear this whole block down and probably put in another factory." He looked back at her over his shoulder. "And sooner, rather than later." He frowned at the damp and filthy walls in the dark. "Look, you should wait outside. I don't know how safe this is..."

Her hand dropped away from her face and she resigned herself to dealing with the scent of rot. "And how safe is it gonna be out there when a patrol wanders by?"

"Point." He sighed and lifted the lantern higher.

"You're sure it's still here?"

"No, but a lot of us used this place over the years for storage. We had this unspoken rule about it, that anything here was safe. The one time we weren't competing."

"What, like a pirate code?"

GraveRobber looked back at her with a smile. "Yeah, okay, a little bit I guess."

Shilo smiled back and took the small orb flashlight out of her jacket pocket and held it out in front of her. "Okay, so let's go find that buried treasure."

It took them nearly half an hour to find it, but GraveRobber finally remembered he'd moved it to the second floor several years ago just when a pipe had burst in the wall. They had to extremely carefully creep their way up a rusty, creaking spiral metal staircase. Shilo'd held her breath the whole time. But then they were on solid footing again - at least, as solid as you could get in a building like this - and then GraveRobber's memory had kicked into overdrive and he'd taken big striding steps straight to the corner where he'd placed the stash and worked his fingers behind the metal panel and yanked it out.

He paused for second, then almost reverently reached in and pulled out two boxes, both worn and water-damaged, but intact. He was very quiet.

Shilo hung back just a step or two, not sure what to do or say. He didn't talk about his past a lot, and he wasn't much for sentiment. She was still surprised that he'd kept the container she'd caged a bug in that day she first stepped outside. The day her whole life went to hell. The day she'd woken up to catch some bugs and gone to bed shivering and covered in the blood of the only person she had in the world, tears staining her shocked face.

But it was also the day the asshole who'd screamed at the cops in the cemetery and nearly gotten them shot had turned up when she was lost and afraid in that tent and had gotten her back home safely, the day he'd shown up again after the brutality of the opera and carried her to safety, given her a place to stay and a friend when she had nobody else left in the world. And they'd only gotten closer. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "You all right?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said quickly, shaking his head a little as if to clear his mind. "It's uh, it's not too much, I hope that's okay..."

Shilo smiled. "I think I can clear out another drawer for you, don't worry about it."

"You're not gonna have room for your stuff if I keep going like this."

"You brought some clothes and now two small boxes. It's fine. I have more space in that house than I know what to do with."

"All right, all right..." GraveRobber picked up the two boxes, stacking one on top of the other, adjusting their crinkled and loose lids. "Okay, let's go before they decide to move up the demolition." He headed for the staircase.

But Shilo stayed put, frowning at the small shape she'd seen flutter to the floor. She crouched down to pick it up, wiping off the muck that had adhered itself. It was a photo, she realized. She held her small light closer. And a grin started to spread across her face.

"Shi?" GraveRobber had turned around, looking down at her. "C'mon, we gotta go." He paused. "What is it?"

She stood up very slowly. "I found something," she said calmly, her back still to him.

He shifted the boxes in his arms. "Oh?"

Very slowly, she turned around. "A photo," she said sweetly, doing her best to smother the smile.

He froze.

"I know you're not big on keepsakes or mementos or anything sentimental," she said, feeling herself losing the war with the glee etching across her features. "But I am oh so glad you kept these things. Especially this."

GraveRobber took a couple cautious steps forward, and his eyes widened when he caught sight of the image in the dim light. He made a grab for it.

Shilo danced away easily, giggling and clutching the picture to her chest. "Don't think so, I haven't finished looking."

"Sh-Shilo, no, you don't wanna - come on," he begged weakly, reaching his hand out.

"Nope, I need to savor this." She leaned back against a wall, holding her light up and taking in the picture properly. A very young GraveRobber, sans makeup and bright hair streaks and worn leather coat, sat in jeans and a t-shirt in what looked like a stone chair with two lion's heads on the arms. His hair was still long, and he gazed defiantly into the camera. He looked so young and...un-graverobber-like.

He made another grab for the photo that she easily avoided by ducking under his arm. "Shi, c'mon, it-it was a long, _long_ time ago..."

"And you kept it!"

"Not to show anyone!"

"But you kept it!"

He groaned.

"Lookit you," she teased, her grin widening at his obvious - and rather adorable - discomfort. "All rebel-without-a-cause."

He put one hand over his face.

"Aww, are you _blushing_?"

"No!"

"Uh huh." She grinned.

"Please forget you ever saw that?"

"Not in a million years."

"Fantastic," he muttered.

She squinted. "Are you...wearing a _watch_?"

He grabbed for it again.

She clutched it to her chest again, and then slid it into the inside pocket of her jacket. "I want to hang on to this."

"Shi..."

"Look." She sidled up to him and slid her arm around his waist. "I know you don't always like sharing this kinda stuff. But it means a lot to me, okay? Knowing things about you." She slid her other arm around him and hugged him close.

He sighed deeply and finally hugged her back. "Yeah, I know. I know."

"Good." She stepped back and grinned again. "Because we should get going, and I need to find a frame for this thing." She darted towards the stairs.

"Shilo!"

Her laughter was the only answer.


End file.
